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Oklahoma football: Nila Kasitati stays upbeat after injury

By Stephanie Kuzydym •
Published: October 9, 2012

Nila Kasitati may be out for the season, but he isn't letting it keep him down.

Offensive guard Adam Shead that Kasitati isn't depressed, but teammates are trying to help him through the fact that his season ended Saturday against Texas Tech when Kasitati tore his ACL in the second half.

Oklahoma's Nila Kasitati (54) is helped off the field after being hurt on a play during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas Tech University at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. OU won, 41-20. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

“This is what we really want to do the most,” Shead said. “When you can't do that, it's just all messed up ...”

Shead and Kasitati were rotating reps at the left guard position, with Shead starting. Now, Shead said the position will remain the same, but he will be seeing more playing time and more reps.

Starting right guard Bronson Irwin knows about helping people go through a difficult time during the season. Irwin's roommate Austin Woods went through chemotherapy this season, while their other roommate Marshall Musil tore his ACL a couple weeks ago.

Irwin said that he hasn't needed to say anything to Kasitati though.

“Nila's a guy that is just really positive all the time,” Irwin said. “You never catch Nila down. You never catch him upset.”

MCFARLAND'S DREAMS CAME TRUE

Before he caught it, Jamarkus McFarland dreamed it.

Last week, McFarland was defending the screen in a dream. He caught an interception.

Everybody's been asking how it ends. Did he wake up before he scored? He doesn't really remember — maybe he was tackled.

Against Texas Tech, McFarland actually did go down. The tackle came from Seth Doege, the Tech quarterback who threw the pick. That's when the dream goes a bit fuzzy and reality went from bragging rights to frustration.

In reality, McFarland fumbled.

“All I was seeing was a black end zone and then I saw green and I was like, ‘Ah man,' ” McFarland recalled of Saturday. “Gahhhh.”